Prologue: The Barony of Harkenwold

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Ral nods at Kathryn's directness and says, "Very well, then. I bring greetings from my father, Warlord Delderosh. I am here to discuss recent events and how we may see the end of our current conflict. You've been most effective these last few days with your raids, but you've lost the initiative. Even now our horde gathers for revenge and from what I've heard, your Harkenwold will not stand against a concerted attack of such numbers. But my father is not without mercy. Cease your raids and respect our borders and you need not fear our wrath. So what is it? Death or peace, Ser Elwin? What say you?"

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The white-haired knight raises an eyebrow. "I say that if our defeat was so certain, you wouldn't be here proposing peace. If I had to guess why you're here, I'd say it's because Warlord Delderosh wants to buy himself some time before he can afford to go to war with the Vale. Which means it's not peace that he wants, but a truce. Am I wrong?"

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Ral gives a light shrug and says, "Maybe you're right, maybe not. Are you willing to role those dice? Besides, you have bigger problems, don't you?"

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Hunter studies Ral's face and body language as close as he can from this distance, and Shorkan's, to read whether they feel as though they've been called out by Kathryn just now, and whether Ral's just fudging with his reply.

Insight 11

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Hunter finds them difficult to read, especially Ral. Neither was visibly rattled by Kathryn, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. It occurs to Hunter that this very quality might have been why they were chosen to negotiate in the first place.

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Hunter ends the effect of his spell.

"They're both hard to read," he mutters to the group behind the back of his hand. "In fact, I'd say Delderosh chose them especially to meet us. I think you got it right the first time. And bear in mind, they lost Mozeric to us."

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Carlos leans over to Kat - "Oi, we gonna trade spit wads all day or can this guy actually decide things? Sounds like a whole lotta posturin' goin' on, maybe he should just go an' call his dad."

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Kathryn listens to her companions' opinion with an impassive expression on her face. Once they've stopped talking, she reaches with her mind to Eninahes and asks her, "Eni? Are you there? Could you examine them the same way you tried to peek at Stockmer's Keep? You know, with that spell of yours?"

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Eni:

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Eni:

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Eni:

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Eni:

The white-haired knight doesn't let her gaze linger on the hobgoblin woman for too long and instead focuses her attention on Ral. More specifically, his left hand. She gives the red-skinned messenger a knowing look and says, "You can put it back in your pocket. Unlike you, we're not devious enough to break the sanctity of the white flag."

She glances at her allies to consider the possibilities available to her before she meets the gaze of the messengers again and tells them, "What are the exact terms that Warlord Delderosh is proposing? And where do your ‘borders’ end?"

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In answer Ral smirks, but says, "Better safe than sorry, Ser Elwin. I for one would like to return to my family this day. But to business then. The borders with Harkenwold would remain the same as they are with your lands ending at the woods. You'd give up our fortress and return home. In return, we guarantee your safe return and seek no redress for your unlawful raids against our people. In the meantime, we end hostilities for the duration of ten years, beginning as soon as we have an accord. Any additional matters such as trade will remain for another time."

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Kathryn puts a hand on her hip and says, "I need to discuss this with the rest of my council. You may return to your men. We'll call you when we're ready to give you our answer."

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"We'll be nearby then. I assume your man will yell when you are ready," he says, nodding as he turns his warg and rides away with Shorkan back to his men. They start setting up a makeshift camp out of arrow range to the south.

Symania watches them go and says angrily, "They don't recognize our lands at all! Oh, I'd love to wring Nesme's neck myself!"

Zoe says, "What do we do now? Clearly we can't agree to those terms."

Jojo has to visibly stop himself from making his consternation pose, given the lack of room up on the wall and says, "But can we hold all of the Iron Arrow and Moondancer lands if it comes down to it?" He wilts under the glares of Symania and Terron, adding, "I'm just saying. There's what we want to do and what we can do. We'll need a lot of soldiers, right? That takes time, money, and alliances."

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"So, we should use this truce to buy time to prepare for an overwhelming victory, rather than a pyrrhic one? Just like them, I'll bet. But that's just not possible with their opening offer. They have to agree to leave the Moondancers and the Iron Arrows alone, or we can't have peace."

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"Would we be able to hold onto the Moondancers' land if we let them keep the Iron Arrows'?"

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Yorenan says, "They could with some preparation. They'll need a garrison and real defenses, patrols as well."

Terron looks very unhappy with that and says, "We'd be on a constant war footing then. It will upend our entire way of life."

Yorenan says, "It's that or give up the land. And don't worry, you won't be alone."

"Aye, the Rangers stand with you," says Leo. "We know a few things about defending without traditional defenses. We'll share what we can."

John says, "What about the Iron Arrows though? What will happen to them?"

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"They would join the Moondancers until we can take their land back from the Daggerburgers. I'm sure Harken would welcome them too, but I imagine they would prefer to live with their fellow clansmen."

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"We'll have to share land, food, and supplies. We'll need to secure the road to Fallcrest for this to be more sustainable."

Hunter turns to Mozeric and asks, "What do you think? Can we take Delderosh's army? Does he have the numbers to go take Harken now, if we tell 'em to screw off?"

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Mozeric strokes his chin and finally nods his head, "Put simply, yes. I've seen firsthand the quality of your warriors but in the end, you would lose. It all comes down to breeding really. Goblins as a whole aren't very smart or brave, but the one thing they are good at is breeding. One goblin woman can have multiple litters a year and they only take half as long to mature compared to a man, an elf, or a dwarf. And that doesn't even include hobs or bugbears. We don't breed as fast as those weaklings but we are still faster than you.

I don't know the full extent of their numbers but I did see that they have a great spawning pit underneath Daggerburg where the goblins do nothing but spawn more of their kind. It was inevitable that the Woodsingers would lose. If they are farming now, they'll have all the food they need for a population explosion, it's really just a matter of equipment then."

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Hunter rankles bitterly at this information. "Then we'd better do what we can to deny them the equipment they need."

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Carlos sighs in frustration - "Whatever happens, can't leave'em any more o' our people for slaves, oi."

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"Okay. We need them to recognize Moondancer lands and stay out of them, and turn over any people they enslaved from Harken and the elves. They have to swear like Mozeric did."

He turns to the others and looks between Symania, Leo, and Yorenan. "What else?"

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Yorenan says, "That just leaves this fortress then. If we let them have it they'll continue to fortify it and it will most certainly be the launching point of any invasions into Harkenwold."

"And it will command the surrounding territory. If we ever have to invade into their lands, we'll have to hit this fortress first which might mean a long siege," adds Leo.

Symania says, "It's the only real leverage we have over them though, besides continuing to fight. We might need to use it as a bargaining chip."

"Perhaps," says Mozeric, "But there's another way you might get what you want. Challenge the Daggerburg to a duel to decide the terms. This is the way of my kind. Just be prepared to suffer the consequences of that choice should you be killed."

"Oh, ho, ho, now we're talking. I bet I could take the Runt," says Bill, looking downright excited.

Sarah says, "What? No, that's crazy!"

"No, it's decisive. Which is what we need right about now I reckon," says Bill.

Sarah turns to you guys and says, "Come on guys, back me up on this. It's not worth the risk when we hold such a strong bargaining position."

» Prologue: The Barony of Harkenwold
» Prologue: The Barony of Harkenwold
» Prologue: Just another day
» Prologue Interlude
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